I’ve been away from Istanbul for about six weeks. I had originally planned to be away for about two, but a small medical situation forced me to change my plans. I’m all better now, but, oh, how this city has changed.
While I was away, the government passed a law that opens the way to lifting the headscarf ban in universities. This, of course, has been a major goal of the current government from the start, is a huge symbolic victory for fundamentalism, and is a major defeat for secularism in Turkey.
The constitutionality of the changes is being formally challenged, and there is widespread disagreement regarding the enforacbility of the legal changes in its present state. However, the impact that the law as it stands has my head reeling. For one, despite the fact that by Article 17 of the Higher Education Board Law it is still not permissible for anyone to wear headscarves at universities, many univeristies (including—to my shock and horror—the university for which I work) are allowing students to enter classes with headscarves. But never you mind—there is a law higher than man’s law that these people are eager to implement and that others are not sufficiently willing to oppose.
The other major impact that the law is having here is that fundamentalists outside of universities are walking the streets literally and figuratively taking up much more room. They walk with their noses held higher, with greater swagger, often dead in the middle of roads—as though nothing can touch them. Clearly this little victory means a lot to them.
I have yet to fully pull my thoughts together. But I can tell you that seeing the armies of anti-secularists on campus has me depressed beyond belief. It seems like a horrible nightmare, but I am not expecting it to end.
From all indications, the fundamentalists have won. And we have lost … everything.
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